Device for loading and unloading ships, and similar applications



June 18, 1963 H. KUMMERMAN 3,093,851

DEVICE! FOR LOADING AND UNLOADING SHIPS, AND SIMILAR APPLICATIONS Filed May 25, 1960 s Sheets-Sheet 1 June 18, 1963 Filed May 25, 1960 H. KUMMERMAN DEVICE FOR LOADING AND UNLOADING SHIPS, AND SIMILAR APPLICATIONS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 18, 1963 H. KUMMERMAN 3,093,351

DEVICE FOR LOADING AND UNLOADING SHIPS, AND SIMILAR APPLICATIONS Filed May 25, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent Oflice Patented June 18, 1963 3,093,851 DEVICE FOR LOADING AND UNLOADING SHIPS, AND SIMILAR APPLICATIONS Henri Kummerman, Paris, France, assignor to International MacGregor Organization (I.M.G.O.), a body corporate of the Principaute of Monaco Filed May 23, 1960, Ser. No. 30,939 Claims priority, application France May 25, 1959 7 Claims. (CI. 14-71) The present invention relates to improved means or devices for loading and unloading ships and like applications, of the type comprising a platform used as an access ramp.

The problems arising notably in connection with the transport of automobiles and coaches on board ships are well known. As a rule, the automobile vehicles are hoisted from the quay by the derrick masts of the ship which lower them into the holds. Outside the considerable loss of time by which these operations are attended and the efforts to be made therefor, there is a serious risk of damaging the vehicles, so that the operators exert a constant attention.

The present invention relates .to a device adapted to avoid these inconveniences.

The device of this invention is remarkable notably in that the aforesaid platform is of the type retractable or collapsible inside the ship or the like, and is arranged with a view to project from the hull thereof and to assume the proper inclination to the horizontal in order to create ramp of access from the quay or like area on which the vehicles to be loaded are gathered.

According to another feature of this invention, the aforesaid platform is provided with means such as rollers or the like, displaceable in or on guideways provided to this end within the ship or the like.

According to another feature of this invention, safety means are provided for limiting the movement of the ramp outside the ship when, at a given moment, the outer end of this ramp does not rest on the quay or like area.

From the foregoing it is clear that, with the device of objects or machines can be loaded on or unloaded from the ship. Thus, for example, the ship may be loaded by causing dockers carrying sacks filled with goods to walk up the ramp, and also by having hand-trucks or powertrucks to move up the ramp.

A ship having an upper deck 5 and two lower decks 6, 7 is shown by way of example. The reference numeral 8 shows very diagrammatically a lift platform for lowering the goods placed thereon into the hold, that is, either in the tween-deck 9 or in the hold 10* proper.

The device according to this invention comprises essentially a ramp or platform 4 provided adjacent its inner end with rollers 11 and adjacent substantially its intermediate portion with other rollers 12. The free or outer end of the ramp-forming platform may also be provided with underlying rollers 13 or any other adequate means, such as skids or shoes, permitting its displacement on the surface of the quay 2. Guideways 14 and 15 are provided for the rollers 11 and 12 respectively. The guideway 14 comprises a first rectilinear portion ab followed by or merging into a downward-sloping portion be, and guideway 15 engaged by the rollers 12 comprises similarly a first rectilinear portion ab followed by or merging into a downward sloping portion b'c. The ends c and c of these two guideways are adjacent to the ships hull. It will be readily understood that at this place the hull may be formed with a door or shutter of any suitable type to permit the lowering of the ramp therethrough and the ingress of vehicles or other goods up the ramp for loading the ship.

To the ends 0 and c correspond on the one hand an abutment co acting with the guideway 14 and on the other hand a safety device co-acting with the guideway 15. This safety device is shown more in details in FIGS. 3 and 4. It consists of a limit-switch 17 projecting inside the guideway 14 and adapted to be actuated by the roller or rollers 12. This limit-switch controls the enerthis invention, the vehicles are driven or otherwise brought firstly on the quay and then directly on board or inside the ship by means of inclined ramps of the type broadly set forth hereinabove. The vehicles may thus reach a certain story or platform disposed within the ship hold, whereafter they can be lowered to a lower level by means of mechanical appliances such as lifts or hoists of any type well known in ship construction.

Other features of the invention will appear as the following description proceeds with reference to the attached drawings forming part of this specification and illustrating diagrammatically by way of example a typical form of embodiment of the invention. In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic, fragmentary crosssection showing a ship equipped with the device of this invention and moored alongside a quay;

FIGURE 2 is a detail view showing a ramp according to this invention in several positions of operation;

FIGURE 3 is another detail view;

FIGURE 4 shows the operation of the safety device and FIGURE 5 is a section taken upon the line V--V of FIG. 1.

In the form of embodiment of the invention which is shown by way of example in the attached drawings a ship 1 is moored alongside a quay 2 on which a plurality of automobiles or coaches 3 to be transported are placed. These vehicles are introduced into the ship by means of ramps 4. 7

It will be readily understood that any other apparatus,

giZing circuit of an electro-motor 18 arranged laterally of the lift platform 8 and adapted to operate the complete assembly through means to be set forth hereafter.

The motor 18 drives for example an endless chain 19 passing over a sprocket or pulley 20 driving in turn another endless chain 21 controlling the movements of the ramp to and from its extended or operative position. This other chain 21 is guided by counter pulleys 22 and 23 and may be provided with known devices for tensioning the chain 21.

This chain 21 has one link attached to the ramp at 25. Of course, a reducing gear 24 may be associated with the motor 18.

As shown more in details in FIG. 5, the ramp 4 may be formed with side flanges 26 carrying the aforesaid rollers 11 and 12. The transmission chain 19 drives wheels 27 keyed on a shaft 28, the chains 21 being driven from these wheels.

For the sake of symmetry and balance, the rollers 11 and 12 are disposed on either side of the ramp.

The above-described assembly may be completed by the provision of a safety brake 29. Although the above description refers only to a single ramp device arranged on one side of the ship, it will be readily understood that a similar device may be arranged on the port-side and/ or the starboard side, and also fore and/or aft of the ship.

On the other hand, it may be noted that although the foregoing relates to the application of the device of the invention to ships only, the same device is also applicable to any other case Where vehicles or trucks, or simply goods, are to be transported from one level to another in buildings, silos, garages, etc.

The above-described device operates as follows: Firstly, the operator opens the door or shutter (not shown) giving access to the hold and starts the motor 18. Thus, the motor 18 will drive through the transmission devices 19 and 2t] and the endless chain 21 so that the rollers 11 and 12 are moved along their guideways 14 and 15. The ramp 4 is first moved to position 4'. At this time, the roller 12 reaches the point [7' of its travel, and the roller 11 is at an intermediate point 11 between a and b. The outer end of ramp 4 projects from the hull. As this movement is continued, the ramp 4 is tilted in the direction of the arrow F1, the roller or rollers 12 moving down the guideway bc', whereas the rollers 11 roll along their guideways 14 to and beyond the point b. Then the ramp 4 is in' position 4 wherein the rollers 11" are at point b, and rollers 12" at point c. If the outer end of ramp 4 engages the quay 2 as illustrated in FIG. 2, it will be readily understood that the intermediate rollers 12 will exert a zero or substantially zero pressure on the guideway 15 so that the limit-switch will not be operated. However, if this outward movement continues it causes the ramp to move to the position shown at 4" in FIG. 2. The aforesaid abutment will thus stop the rollers 11. The loading or unloading operation may be commenced immediately.

If for any reason the ramp 4, at the end of its outward movement, did not engage the quay (for example if the quay were too low with respect to the ship, see FIG. 3) the ramp will be overhanging and supported by the rollers 11 and 12, and it is evident that the rollers 12 will exert a pressure upon the limit-switch 16 and thus stop the motor 18. Under these conditions, the ramp will be extracted to a certain extent insuflicient however to permit the loading. The operator will be advised of these conditions by the stoppage of the motor 18, and may take the necessary step to cope with this situation, for example by disposing a few pieces of timber on the quay. The ramp may be retracted by reversing the motor 18 in order to restore the assembly in the conditions shown in FIG. 2 at 4.

Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the invention and appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an enclosed space including a bottom floor and an opening provided in a side wall limiting said space, a device for loading and unloading said floor and operating between substantially the level of said floor and a lower level outside thereof, comprising a sliding platform means movable between operative and inoperative positions and forming an inclinable ramp to interconect both of said levels in its operative position, control means within said space and arranged laterally of said platform means for selectively retracting said platform means to its inoperative position through said opening inside said space and extending it outside thereof in its operative position, a pair of opposed trackways located in registering relationship as mirror images inside said space to support and guide said platform means laterally along both of its operative sides and constituted. each by a substantially straight horizontal portion located overhead near the top level of said opening to support said platform means in its retracted position inside said space and by a downward inclined portion adjacent and following endwise said horizontal portion and sloping towards said opening to end in the vicinity of said opening and of said floor to guidingly support said platform means during its tilting and outward projecting "motion, each of said trackways being made throughout of a lower guideway consisting of two superposed spaced bearing flanges running parallel to each other to form a channel-like track therebetween and of an ends of said platform means substantially upper guideway made of a single bearing flange the horizontal portion of which is substantially longer towards said opening than that of said lower guideways and the slope of the inclined portion of said upper guideways being greater than that of said lower guideways, and at least two pairs of roller means provided laterally on said platform means one pair at the rear end portion of said platform means for constrainedly rolling in said lower guideways and the other pair secured intermediate the rear and front ends of said platform means and substantially oflset towards the top face thereof with respect to the first-named pair for temporary unilateral engagement with said upper guideways during part of the motion of said plat-form means.

2. A device according to claim lwherein a part of each of said horizontal portions of said upperguideways is formed by the top face of the upper bearing flange of the horizontal portion of the underlying lower guideway.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein abutment means are provided substantially near the lower ends of the inclined portions of said lower guideways for limiting the outward extension of said platform means while allowing a vertical pivoting thereof about the abutment means to accommodate variations of the diflerence of level.

4. A device according to claim 1 comprising safety means at the lowerend of :the inclined portion of one of said upper guideways for stopping the movement to prevent undue tilting of said platform means when the front end thereof cannot reach said lower level, and further roller means provided on the front end of said platform means for rolling engagement with said lower level.

5. A device according to claim 1 wherein said control means comprise a motor positioned within said space and laterally of said platform means, endless flexible means driven by said motor and connecting means between said flexible means and said platform means.

6. A device for loading and unloading an enclosed space and operating between an upper level of said space and a lower level outside thereof, comprising an opening provided at said upper level in a side wall of said space, a movable platform means movable between operative and inoperative positions and constituting an inclinable ramp to interconnect both of said levels in its operative position, control means including a prime mover for selectively retracting said platform means to its inoperative position through said opening inside said space and extending it outside thereof in its operative position, two trackways located in registering relationship as mirror images inside said space to support and guide said platform means laterally along both of its opposite sides and constituted each by a substantially straight horizontal portion located near the top of said space to support said platform means in its retracted position inside said space and by a downward inclined portion following said horizontal portion toward said opening and ending in the vicinity of said opening and of said upper level to guidingly support said platform means during its tilting and outward projecting motion, each of said trackways being made throughout of a lower guideway consisting of two superposed spaced bearing flanges running parallel to each other to form a channel-like track therebetween and of an upper guideway made of a single bearing flange formed on a part of its horizontal portion by the top face of the upper bearing flange of said lower guideway, said straight horizontal portions of said upper glideways being substantially longer than that of said lower guideways, so that the slope of inclined portions of said upper guideways is greater than that of said lower guideways, at least two pairs of roller means provided laterally on said platform means, one pair at the rear end portion of said platform means for constrainedly rolling in said lower guideways and the other pair secured intermediate the rear and front offset towards the top face thereof withrespect to-the first-namedpairfor temporary unilateral engagement with said upper guideways during part of the motion of said platform means, and safety means including a concave recess at the lower end of said inclined portion of each of said upper guideways to receive that said pair of roller means which are located intermediate said platform means when the front end thereof does not rest on said lower level, and switch means located about at least one of said recesses and adapted to cooperate with said last-named pair of roller means to switch off the prime mover of said control means 7. A device according to claim 6 comprising abutment means provided substantially near the lower end of the inclined portion of said lower g'uideways for limiting the outward extension of said platform means while allowing a certain vertical pivoting thereof to accommodate variations of the diilerence of level, further roller means provided on the front end of said platform means for rolling and resting on a lower level, power driving means consisting of an electric motor, of an endless sprocket chain transmission actuated by said motor and of connecting means between said transmission and said platform means, said switch means being located in at least one of said recesses and protruding upward therefrom to be acted upon by said last-named pair of roller means for switching off said motor, and an electric circuit for energizing said motor and controlled by said switch means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 2,904,802 Hartman Sept. 22, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 185,821 Great Britain Sept. 8, 1922 43,576 France Apr. 23, 1934 808,782 France Nov, 24, 1936 465,004 Great Britain Apr. 29, 1937 

1. IN AN ENCLOSED SPACE INCLUDING A BOTTOM FLOOR AND AN OPENING PROVIDED IN A SIDE WALL LIMITING SAID SPACE, A DEVICE FOR LOADING AND UNLOADING SAID FLOOR AND OPERATING BETWEEN SUBSTANTIALLY THE LEVEL OF SAID FLOOR AND A LOWER LEVEL OUTSIDE THEREOF, COMPRISING A SLIDING PLATFORM MEANS MOVABLE BETWEEN OPERATIVE AND INOPERATIVE POSITIONS AND FORMING AN INCLINABLE RAMP TO INTERCONECT BOTH OF SAID LEVELS IN ITS OPERATIVE POSITION, CONTROL MEANS WITHIN SAID SPACE AND ARRANGED LATERALLY OF SAID PLATFORM MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY RETRACTING SAID PLATFORM MEANS TO ITS INOPERATIVE POSITION THROUGH SAID OPENING INSIDE SAID SPACE AND EXTENDING IT OUTSIDE THEREOF IN ITS OPERATIVE POSITION, A PAIR OF OPPOSED TRACKWAYS LOCATED IN REGISTERING RELATIONSHIP AS MIRROR IMAGES INSIDE SAID SPACE TO SUPPORT AND GUIDE SAID PLATFORM MEANS LATERALLY ALONG BOTH OF ITS OPERATIVE SIDES AND CONSTITUTED EACH BY A SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT HORIZONTAL PORTION LOCATED OVERHEAD NEAR THE TOP LEVEL OF SAID OPENING TO SUPPORT SAID PLATFORM MEANS IN ITS RETRACTED POSITION INSIDE SAID SPACE AND BY A DOWNWARD INCLINED PORTION ADJACENT AND FOLLOWING ENDWISE SAID HORIZONTAL PORTION AND SLOPING TOWARDS SAID OPENING TO END IN THE VICINITY OF SAID OPENING AND OF SAID FLOOR TO GUIDINGLY SUPPORT SAID PLATFORM MEANS DURING ITS TILTING AND OUTWARD PROJECTING MOTION, EACH OF SAID TRACKWAYS BEING MADE THROUGHOUT OF A LOWER GUIDEWAY CONSISTING OF TWO SUPERPOSED SPACED BEARING FLANGES RUNNING PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER TO FORM A CHANNEL-LIKE TRACK THEREBETWEEN AND OF AN UPPER GUIDEWAY MADE OF A SINGLE BEARING FLANGE THE HORIZONTAL PORTION OF WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY LONGER TOWARDS SAID OPENING THAN THAT OF SAID LOWER GUIDEWAYS AND THE SLOPE OF THE INCLINED PORTION OF SAID UPPER GUIDEWAYS BEING GREATER THAN THAT OF SAID LOWER GUIDEWAYS, AND AT LEAST TWO PAIRS OF ROLLER MEANS PROVIDED LATERALLY ON SAID PLATFORM MEANS ONE PAIR AT THE REAR END PORTION OF SAID PLATFORM MEANS FOR CONSTRAINEDLY ROLLING IN SAID LOWER GUIDEWAYS AND THE OTHER PAIR SECURED INTERMEDIATE THE REAR AND FRONT ENDS OF SAID PLATFORM MEANS AND SUBSTANTIALLY OFFSET TOWARDS THE TOP FACE THEREOF WITH RESPECT TO THE FIRST-NAMED PAIR FOR TEMPORARY UNILATERAL ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID UPPER GUIDEWAYS DURING PART OF THE MOTION OF SAID PLATFORM MEANS. 